How to Become a Professional Land Surveyor or Licensed Intern In Arkansas

In Arkansas, the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors has 2 kinds of licenses for land surveyors. Surveyor interns can work under the supervision of a licensed professional surveyor after a certain amount of education or experience. Those with even more education and experience can become a fully licensed professional land surveyor.

Those seeking licensing as an intern should either get an associate degree in surveying or a bachelor’s degree that has at least 9 total hours in surveying with 3 in Principles and Practice of Boundary Location. But those with at least 4 years of experience do not need to meet either of these educational requirements.

Note that all of these intern applicants, regardless of how they qualify, must first pass an exam, which is the Fundamentals of Surveying.

Starting in 2017, an applicant can become an intern by getting one of the following: 1) a B.S. degree in Surveying, Geomatics, Geomatics Engineering,or Spatial Information Systems (minor or emphasis in surveying; 2) Associate of Science degree in Surveying or Surveying Technology; 3) Associate of Applied Science degree in Surveying or Surveying Technology; or 4) bachelor’s degree with at least 30 hours of surveying courses.
For the 4th option, there are very detailed course requirements for the core general courses. You can find them from a link on the regulations page of the Board’s website. Alternatively, it could be an ABET-accredited engineering degree.

http://www.pels.arkansas.gov/rulesRegsStandards/Pages/default.aspx

Under the rules starting in 2017, the Fundamentals exam is still required.

Under the 2017 rules, an applicant can become a professional surveyor by doing one of the following: 1) one of the bachelor’s degrees described above plus 3 years of experience; 2) one of the associate degrees described above plus 6 years of experience.

Where 3 years are required, there must be at least 1 year each of field and office work related to boundaries. And it’s at least 2 years each if the applicant is required to complete 6 total years.

Under both options, candidates must pass the Fundamentals exam, the Professional Surveyor exam, and a state surveyor exam. 5 references are also required, including 3 from professional surveyors.

Instructions on how to apply to be either a surveyor intern or professional surveyor can be found on the Arkansas Board’s website. Look at the menu of available disciplines to select the proper license (the engineering applications are also here).

http://www.pels.arkansas.gov/ApplicationsandForms/Pages/default.aspx

Go to the NCEES Exams page and use the FS and PS links to get specific information on the tests. And you can contact the Board or ask your supervisor to learn how to prepare for the state exam for professional surveyors.